Go For It
by LeosFeels
Summary: Mortal AU in which Hazel and Percy, who grew up together, are forced to attend a boarding school in California-all the way across the country from New York, where their parents live. All of the seven are present, plus Reyna and Nico, and mentions of Rachel and Luke.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any other non-OC's that are characterized in this fic. All characters are property of Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series.**

**Another disclaimer: the first chapter is actually the worst one. Please don't give up. **

* * *

**PERCY** groaned at Hazel's forever-upbeat attitude.

"Oh, come on. It might actually be fun. You could get away from your mom, meet some new friends-maybe a girl. You can finally see the world outside New York. Besides, Percy, I _adore_ the uniforms."

Hazel and Percy were being shipped off to a boarding school in California. It hadn't been Percy's idea.

"Hazel, I don't care about the uniform. I don't care about the outside world. Besides, I can make friends and meet girls here. And I don't _want_ to get away from my mom," he added.

Hazel rolled her eyes, making them catch the light of the setting sun outside Percy's bedroom window. "If you can make friends here, then how come I'm the only one you've had in years?"

"That's not-"

"And a girl?" Hazel laughed. "Percy, you've never had a girlfriend." Hazel pulled his uniform off the doorknob to his room. Percy hadn't even looked at it.

"There was Rachel-"

"A _real_ girlfriend. She kissed you, then told you she couldn't date you. Remember?" She inspected the packaging, probably ready to rip it open. "You have got to try this on," she decided.

Percy reddened at the mention of Rachel dumping him. Okay, so they hadn't really been dating, but it still stung.

Without warning, Hazel tore open the plastic wrap holding Percy's uniform. He let out a strangled yelp. "What if I needed to return that?! Or to-"

"We're leaving _tomorrow_. You can't deny it anymore, Percy." Hazel held up a slate gray jacket. It was light and looked casual enough, until she turned it around and Percy grimaced. On the left breast was a trident embroidered in gold. Percy fell back onto his bed and covered his face.

"I'll never wear that," he promised.

He could practically hear Hazel raising her eyebrows at him, not believing a word he said. "I like it. It'll be a nice change for you. Besides, the shirt is plain enough, and the tie is actually-"

Percy sat bolt upright on the edge of his bed. "I have to wear a tie?" He asked, incredulous. Hazel grinned at him, holding up a blue and green tie that almost looked like it could be some artist's abstract ocean painting. Percy hated art.

"I can't wait," Hazel smiled.

* * *

Hazel left after Percy's mom made them dinner. They talked for a minute at the door, and Percy could hear them laughing-probably at him. He put his plate away in the dishwasher and turned to see his mom walking towards him.

"So," she started, leaning back against the counter next to him. "You're leaving tomorrow."

"I think you should come," Percy blurted immediately. "I'll need help unpacking, you can meet my teachers-you know they usually need some kind of warning-and help me get ready for school. You know I'm not good at that."

Sally Jackson smiled sadly. She was always so kind and positive, and Percy knew she was probably holding back tears. He also thought he might cry if he saw his mom upset.

"Your father only bought one ticket," she said. "And you won't be alone, you'll have Hazel. I'm sure you'll be fine," she stated firmly, and Percy thought there was an undertone, like, _I wouldn't be letting you go if I thought otherwise_.

After a minute of silence, Percy said, "I hate flying."

"So does your father," Sally said softly.

"I hate him," he said. "I haven't even _met_ him, and he suddenly wants me to move to some boarding school across the country? Mom, why should he even have a say in this?" Percy's dad owned the school he and Hazel would be attending. He had built it, but Percy thought he didn't really care about the kids. He probably just wanted the company name on something else.

"Percy," his mom said, warning. "Your father wants you to have the best opportunities. He founded that school for kids who... for kids who need more help. It's for the best that you go there."

"He founded that school so his company would look good," Percy spat.

"Percy!" his mother's eyes were wide, and she looked horrified at his words.

"Mom. If he can throw away money for me to go to some school after 16 years without even showing up, why hasn't he sent any to you? Why can't he support you?" Percy was almost pleading by this point. He thought if he ever met his father, he might hurt him. Badly.

"He-"

"I'll go," Percy said, surprising both of them. "If it's what you really want, I'll leave."

"Of course I don't want you to leave," Percy's mom said after a few minutes. "But I do want you to go to that school."

Percy looked at her for a long time. Finally, she pulled him into a hug. "I love you," she whispered. Percy's eyes were wet. He wouldn't see his mom until Thanksgiving.

"I love you, too." It was true. He would do anything for his mom. Even go to this school. He wouldn't like it-not one bit-but he would go to this school, because it was what his mom wanted.

Maybe he'd even meet his father while he was there.


	2. Chapter 2

PERCY got out of the cab and walked into the airport with his mom. Hazel and her mother got out a couple of cars behind them, and Percy saw Hazel hug her mother and quickly dismiss her. He knew they had a pretty bad relationship-it's why Hazel had always liked his mom. Still, Percy thought she should have someone to see her off. This was a life changing trip.

At least, that's what the brochure said. Percy pulled the thick pamphlet out of his bag, rolling his eyes. _Triton Academy_. His new home.

It made Percy want to gag.

When the three of them got to security, Percy's mom pulled Hazel in for a hug. She told her something, probably "take care of Percy"-as if he were _that_ bad-and turned to him.

He could see that her eyes were already wet. This morning, he'd noticed they were red, like she hadn't gotten much sleep. He knew she'd probably stayed up most of the night worried about him.

"Percy..." she hugged him even more tightly than she had last night. "You've grown up so much," she said, and Percy heard her voice break.

"Mom," he pulled back, feeling the tears well up in his eyes. "It's only one school year. And I'll visit all the time," he added, trying to reassure the both of them.

"I know..." she closed her eyes, and Percy saw a single tear spill down her cheek. "I just want you to do well."

Percy smiled, even though he was about to cry as well. "When have I ever?" he joked.

His mom smiled, her eyes glistening with all the tears she'd been holding back, and rifled through her purse. "I have something..." she pulled out a tiny bottle.

Percy raised an eyebrow, and couldn't help but grinning. "Blue food dye?" he asked.

"So you'll always feel like you're at home," she answered. "And Hazel..." she turned, handing Hazel something that glinted in the white light of the airport. "Your mom wanted you to have this. She said you wouldn't take it if she tried to give it to you," she added hurriedly, before Hazel could protest.

Hazel frowned, and Percy could tell she was confused. "I don't want anything of hers," she stated firmly, looking up at Percy's mom. "This is a new start for me."

Percy could see that she was probably about to cry, too. God, they were emotional.

"It's not hers," Sally said softly, opening her hand to reveal a small, blood-red gemstone. "She said it belonged to your father."

Hazel let out a tiny gasp, throwing her hand over her mouth. She visibly hesitated before taking the ruby. "Are... Are you sure?"

Percy's mom smiled, pressing the stone into Hazel's hand. "It's yours." she hugged Hazel again, then turned to give Percy a kiss on the cheek. "I guess it would be pointless to tell you to make good choices?"

"Mom-"

"Just try, Percy. Please."

Percy looked at his mom for a long time. He had never been away from her for longer than a month (he couldn't even last long at summer camp), and now he would be away from her for four, at least. And then another. And then five more.

"I will. I love you," Percy smiled, hugging his mom once more-tightly, this time, like he was trying to convince himself she was really there. Maybe because he knew that tomorrow, she wouldn't be.

"I love you. Both of you," she added, cupping Hazel's cheek. "Be safe."

With that, Sally Jackson watched her only son-and the closest thing she had to a daughter-leave.

Percy turned to wave, but his mom was covering her face, crying.

* * *

Percy clutched the arm of his seat as they hit another patch of turbulence. He could swear this plane wanted to drag him down.

"I hate flying," he grumbled.

Hazel rolled her eyes as she looked out the window. "It's not nearly as bad as being on a boat. It's actually kind of nice," she admitted.

"Well, when the alternative is throwing up over the edge of a boat in front of the Statue of Liberty..." Percy grinned at Hazel's blush. Man, could she blush. Hazel got as red as a tomato whenever she got embarrassed-or when Percy got embarrassed, for that matter. It didn't take a lot. She was kind of old fashioned that way.

"That was _one_ time," she defended. She and Percy had once gone on a touristy cruise around New York Harbor with his mom. It wasn't really all that great, coming from a New Yorker, but being out on the water was nice-to Percy, at least.

He shrugged. "I don't blame you. If it was anything as bad as this-" He yelped as the plane shifted again, only to blush almost as badly as Hazel when the pilot announced their descent.

"Triton Academy, here we come," Hazel murmured. "What kind of name is that, anyways?"

Percy shrugged again, still gripping the armrest so tightly his knuckles were white. "Company name. Triton Enterprises. I swear, he treats that organization like a son." Percy didn't have to say who "he" was.

"You really don't like him, do you?" Hazel asked. "I've never heard you say anything positive about your dad."

"Maybe, if there were something positive to say-"

"It's not that," she pushed on, not letting him get out of the conversation. "You don't think he chose his company over you... do you?"

Percy looked at Hazel's golden eyes, trying to put together a defense. He wanted to say he didn't _care_ what his father did, that it didn't matter to him. "Hazel, I know he did. He's had the company forever, and I only showed up sixteen years ago."

Hazel frowned. "And yet, you're still going to his school."

"For my mom," he stated.

Hazel just nodded, like she'd expected the answer. "So," he said after she didn't answer. "A ruby. From your dad," he said carefully. He knew Hazel's dad had died before she was born. Percy had never met his father, but at least he knew he was out there. Hazel had to live with the knowledge that her father hadn't even had the choice to leave.

"It's... it's not just a ruby," she told him. "My mom... back in New Orleans, my mom ran this jewelry shop," Hazel frowned, like she didn't have the best memories from New Orleans-which Percy knew she didn't. "Eventually, when my mom went broke, we had to get rid of everything. We sold it, sometimes not even through the shop. We got rid of old paintings, anything that might have been of value."

Percy nodded. He'd heard this story before.

"Except..." she closed her eyes, like she was trying to remember. "I was really young... it's hard to remember, but I think there was one family my mom talked to more than anyone else. An Italian woman. She had two kids, a girl and a boy. No husband," Hazel added.

He frowned. Percy hadn't heard anything about an Italian family.

"They fought..." Hazel looked at him. "The Italian lady gave my mom the ruby. She said it was proof."

"Proof?" Percy asked, lost.

"I don't know what she meant," Hazel said. "All I remember is that even after we got rid of everything else, we never sold the ruby. It was probably more expensive than most of the shop, but my mom kept it. She said it was my dad's, that he had all sorts of precious things."

"It was your dad's? Then why did the Italian lady have it?" Percy was intrigued. He'd even forgotten about how terrified he was. Well, almost.

"Maria. That was her name. Maria di Angelo." Hazel shook her head. "Her kids... the boy, Nico, was a year older than me. He was the one who told me that his mom gave a ruby to mine."

"As proof," Percy remembered. "Still, proof of what?"

"The ruby was proof that Maria knew my dad. I think... I think the di Angelo children were his kids," she said in wonder.

* * *

Percy was relieved to get off the plane, even though he doubted the school would be any better. He and Hazel got a taxi to take them all the way out to the school-the driver said he'd been doing it for kids all week-and now he was trying to decide whether or not he should get out of the car.

Hazel was already waiting. She had managed to haul her giant suitcase out of the trunk herself, before the driver had rushed out of the car to help her. The suitcase probably weighed more than she did.

"Come on, Percy," she said for the thousandth time. "It's just a boarding school. You're going to have to get out."

"Am I?" Percy countered. "I could just stay in the taxi for a while. I'm sure Jack wouldn't mind." Percy reconsidered that when he saw the forced smile on the cab driver's face.

"Well, you could go back to the airport. Then you could fly across the country again, and we both know you'd _love_ that." Hazel grinned, and Percy knew he'd lost. Sighing, he got out of the car, and grabbed his stuff from the trunk before tipping Jack.

"So. We're here," Percy looked ahead, where a massive campus stretched before them. He could see other kids just getting there, walking between buildings or talking with friends. Some had their uniforms on, others didn't. Percy was glad he didn't.

"Triton Academy," Hazel agreed. "It's nice. Really nice."

Percy guessed she was right. The entire campus had a relatively Greek feeling to it. The main building in front of them had pale Greek style columns, like the Parthenon. The other buildings were all low and pretty uniform, but they were almost as nice. Some had statues framing the entrances, and they over all had an old feel. Even though Percy could see windows on every side of the buildings but the fronts, he felt like he might have stepped back in time.

Hazel gestured towards the main building, where a lot of kids without uniforms were going. "I guess we have to sign in," she said.

"You're not going to be in any of my classes," Percy realized. "You're a freshman. I'm a sophomore. I might never see you. You'll even have a dorm in another building, and you might eat at different times, or in a different place, or-"

Hazel elbowed him in the ribs, shutting him up. "I'll see you exactly as often as I want, _Perseus_ Jackson."

Percy blinked, actually surprised by her use of his full name. "Shut up," he eventually told her when he got over it. Hazel didn't look threatening, even when Percy knew she could probably beat him up faster than he could tie his shoe. She was probably the most innocent-looking teenager in the entire world.

Hazel just laughed as they entered the main building, which was apparently called the Big House. Apparently, it was a pretty important building, even though Percy didn't remember anything special about it from the pamphlet. He knew Student Council meetings were held here, even though every other school gathering was outside at the amphitheater. Percy figured this was probably where the administration offices were-which meant he'd be spending a lot of time here.

"Percy Jackson," he said to an annoyed looking blonde girl with big glasses and even bigger braces. He held out his hand, but she didn't even bother looking up as she checked off his name and grabbed a set of keys from under the desk she was standing behind.

"All of the dorms are in the area to the left when you first come in," she intoned, like she'd said it a hundred times in the past hour. "The sophomore dorms are in the west wing. Your room is Beta-120."

"You guys don't just say 'B?'" Percy asked, but the girl ignored him. He waited for Hazel, and the girl-Percy thought her nametag said something like "Debby"-gave him a pretty disgusted look when she saw him walk away with Hazel. Ouch. He hoped everyone here wasn't like that.

Hazel was pretty quiet as they walked to the housing building. It was huge, and only one story tall, so it looked like it took up even more space. It was a little bit more modern than most if the other buildings, too.

He tried to walk Hazel to her room, but another cheery assistant, who Percy decided to call Debby 2.0, insisted she walk him to his. "Oh, you don't want to get lost," she promised. "There's a welcoming bonfire tonight. Your friend is almost to her room, she'll be fine. The west wing is on the opposite side of the building, so it might take a little bit of navigation to get there." Percy tried to say goodbye to Hazel, but she was too busy laughing at him as Debby 2.0 latched herself onto Percy's arm and steered him away. He waved at Hazel, deciding he would find her at the bonfire.

"We're almost there," Debby 2.0 told him, pausing in her onslaught of words. Honestly, she and Debby were pretty much polar opposites. Debby 2.0 had way more enthusiasm. "Okay, it'll be in this hall. 120 should be that door down there. I'll walk you to-"

"It's fine," Percy said quickly. "I'm sure I can make it."

"It's no trouble," Debby 2.0 tried to tell him, but Percy was already walking down the hall without her. He opened the door, and heard her say "See you at the bonfire! My name's-" before he slammed it shut behind him.

He paused for a minute, breathing. Debby 2.0 was probably the most annoying person he'd ever met.

"Uh, hi." Percy heard someone say, and realized someone was already in the room. He looked up, and saw a boy about his age-maybe a little younger-standing up to walk over to him. "I'm Jason." He held out his hand.

Percy shook it. Jason was maybe an inch taller than him, which he immediately resented, and already wearing his uniform. He didn't look the least bit uncomfortable in the ridiculous outfit. Percy guessed Jason was probably a model student, and that was after knowing him for less than a minute. He didn't really like model students.

"Uh, Percy. Sorry. I was-"

"Sizing me up?" Jason asked, and shrugged at Percy. "It's fine. I was doing the same thing. I'll be sharing a room with you for nine months, after all."

Percy frowned at that, but he guessed Jason was right. "Uh, yeah, so..." Percy forgot what he was going to say when he saw the view. He actually gasped, taking an involuntary step towards the window that made up a lot of the wall.

Triton Academy was built on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. The dorms were the closest building to the sea, and the west wing looked out right over the cliff. Percy could see the rocky edge of the cliff and a thin stretch of beach. Beyond that was nothing but the ocean. It was surprisingly different from the water in New York Harbor. The water at home was gray and relatively still, but here, it was a deep blue, and each wave surged over the sand and, Percy imagined, right to the base of the cliff. It was amazing.

Jason was grinning at him. "Ever see the ocean before?" He asked, glancing at the window.

"Not like this," Percy replied. He turned away from the window and grabbed his suitcase. There were two beds situated opposite from each other in the room. One of them was against the wall overlooking the cliff. "Can I..." Percy gestured at the bed.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. I would've already taken it, but I really don't like the ocean all that much," Jason pointed to the other bed, where his suitcase lie mostly unpacked. "I already claimed this bed, though, so I guess you're stuck with that one."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "You don't like the ocean? Is that even possible?"

Jason shrugged. "I've never had any reason to. Besides, I fly a lot. I prefer the sky."

Laughing, Percy sat on his new bed. "You should have seen me on the plane today. I've never been on one before."

"Oh, man. So, where'd you fly from, Percy?" Jason asked.

"New York. I've never had a reason to fly anywhere before today. What about you? Where are you from?"

"Oh, I just drove up here from San Francisco," Jason told him.

"So I guess we must be sworn enemies, then," Percy decided. Jason laughed it off. "Good to meet you, Jason."

"Yeah, you too. Do you need any help with your stuff?" He gestured at the suitcase.

"I don't think so. We have to wear the uniform already?" Percy grimaced.

"Uh, yeah. It's really not that bad. I mean, I've worn a lot of suits, so..." Jason sounded like he was embarrassed to admit he liked the uniform. Percy would have been.

"No kidding," he said, unzipping the suitcase after setting it on his bed.

"Yeah. So, what do you do?"

"Sorry?"

Jason smiled a little. "Everyone here _does_ something. Extra curriculars are basically required curriculars. I'm the quarterback here, but we're not really that good."

"Oh. Uh, I swim a little. My mom told me she signed me up for try outs..." Percy sighed. "I was hoping she was joking."

"Not a team player? They don't really like that here." Jason warned him.

"They'll have to deal with it," Percy said decisively.

"I'd like to see that," Jason laughed. "Well listen, I'm going to leave. I've got a couple of things to take care of before classes start tomorrow. You might be able to catch me at the mess hall later-try. I've got a couple of friends for you to meet."

"Uh, yeah. Sounds good." Percy didn't really think about whether or not it sounded good. All he thought about was the fact that the next time he left this room, he would be wearing that uniform.


	3. Chapter 3

**If anyone has a Wattpad, feel free to follow me there-that's where I'll write/update first. It has the same pen name, which is the same as my tumblr url if you want to follow me there as well ;-) **

**HAZEL'S** roommate was a junior, which she didn't really understand. Still, she couldn't complain. Reyna was a dark-haired, fierce-eyed girl who was at once admirable and terrifying.

She pretty much dominated the room, and even though there were only two of them, Hazel felt like she was commanding the attention of an army.

"So, this bunk is mine," Reyna continued, gesturing at the bed on the far side of the room from Hazel. It was facing the window, which overlooked the massive green between all the buildings. The green was filled with various fountains and statues.

"Right, yes. Of course," Hazel said, not sure exactly how to respond. Reyna just nodded, like she was used to people doing what she said. Hazel suddenly wondered just who she was rooming with.

She turned to the bed in the other corner, which faced a plain desk. Hazel guessed she could make this work. She started to unpack her suitcase, which actually didn't have anything in it except a couple of plain dress shirts and blue-green skirts. She hung her jacket on the corner post of her bed, then started sorting through her suitcase to put her clothes away.

To Hazel's surprise, Reyna came over to help her unpack with a smile. "So, it's actually my third year here. Have you ever been to boarding school?" she asked.

"Oh, no. My friend has, in New York. Well, he's not in New York now, he's actually here with me. But he went to a couple of boarding schools. In New York." Hazel felt the warm blush creeping up her neck.

Reyna just raised the corner of her mouth, like she was amused. "So, your friend... He's a freshman, too?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, no. No, he's a sophomore. We pretty much grew up together in New York. You would like him. I guess," Hazel added, realizing she didn't really _know_ Reyna well enough to decide that.

"I'm sure I would," Reyna let out a little laugh, which seemed strange coming from her powerful figure. "I like you well enough, Hazel Levesque."

Hazel thought her blush must be a thousand times worse at this point. "Yeah. You too," she agreed.

"So," Reyna continued, "what classes will you be taking?"

Hazel racked her brain, trying to remember her schedule. "Uh, I have biology... Geometry, history. I'm taking art," she added, thinking that was probably what Reyna had been asking in the first place.

Reyna nodded. "Are you a good artist?"

"Oh, uh, I guess. Percy thinks so. My friend," she clarified.

Reyna froze. "Percy?" she glanced up at Hazel from her position over the suitcase. "Percy Jackson?"

"You know him?" Hazel asked, immediately defensive.

The older girl just shrugged. "Everyone knows his dad owns the whole school. There were rumors that the owner's son might show up," she said.

"Percy didn't even know until last month," Hazel stated. "Actually, he's never even met his dad."

"Oh, really? That sucks. Not knowing your dad," Reyna said sadly, as if from personal experience.

"Do you know your dad?" Hazel immediately asked.

She knew she'd made a mistake when she saw Reyna's guarded expression. "I used to," she said bitterly.

Hazel just nodded slowly, letting the conversation die. Her roommate was an interesting person.

* * *

Reyna had to leave later that afternoon, and Hazel took the chance to change into her new uniform. The sea-green skirt was narrow and went just past her knees, offsetting the sandy colored button down shirt she also wore. Hazel felt like she was wearing the ocean-even the thought made her nauseous.

Hazel grabbed the light jacket, which was a dark blue-gray color. She put it on over her shirt, pulling her fluffy mess of hair into a single, huge ponytail. Hazel immediately undid it, noticing her uncanny resemblance to a squirrel.

The jacket was pretty plain, and it looked really nice over the ocean themed outfit. The trident embroidered next to the left lapel was actually pretty nice, and it didn't distract too much. She couldn't see _what_ Percy was complaining about.

Hazel actually laughed. Of _course_ she could see why Percy was complaining. He hated dressing up-Hazel knew he didn't want to attract attention to himself. But here, everyone would wear the same outfit everyday. He would be fine.

Hazel heard an announcement for lunch hour in the Mess Hall, and, satisfied with her room, headed out to find Percy.

_B-120_, she remembered, heading into the sophomore wing. When she finally found it, she knocked on Percy's door, smiling at the image of him attempting to tie his tie.

When he did open it, his tie was hanging around his neck, undone. "Finally," he muttered, opening the door wider to let Hazel in.

He wasn't wearing the jacket-it was thrown onto his mattress, from which Hazel noted he had an incredible view-just the slacks that were a shade darker than Hazel's skirt, and the same sandy button down shirt-which he'd only managed to button halfway.

Hazel raised an eyebrow at him. "Need help?" she asked him.

"Is that not why you're here?" He grumbled, turning towards the mirror. "I hate this."

"Come on, Percy. It's nice. Sets off your eyes," she told him.

Percy muttered something under his breath before turning back to Hazel, his shirt buttoned. He fingered the tie, raising an eyebrow at Hazel.

Rolling her eyes, Hazel tied it for him. She pulled it tight around his neck, laughing at the yelp it caused. She grabbed the pin off the desk, fastening it to his tie. It was another gold trident, facing opposite the one on the jacket. It looked nice.

Percy apparently didn't think so. Still grumbling, he grabbed the jacket off the bed, opening the door for her. "Shall we?" he said.

Hazel rolled her eyes again, pulling him along to the mess hall.

When they got to the outdoor pavillion, which had no roof (Hazel hoped they had an indoor cafeteria as well), Percy caught someone's attention and pulled Hazel towards his table.

To Hazel's surprise, Reyna was sitting near the boy Percy had waved to. She gave Hazel a little nod, smiling.

"I'm Jason," the boy next to her said, standing to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you. Hazel?" she nodded, taking his hand.

"Hazel Levesque," she told him. There were two other boys at the table, Hazel noticed. One of them instantly looked familiar, though Hazel couldn't say why. He seemed like the kind of boy who Hazel wouldn't trust with fire.

He grinned at her, like they shared some kind of inside joke, and stood up dramatically to take her hand. "Leo Valdez, Super-sized McShizzle, at your service." Jason rolled his eyes.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks. Nice to meet you, Leo." That was when Hazel's turned to the other boy. He was big and awkward, like he didn't really know what to do with all the muscle he had. He tried to hide it with a uniform that looked a size too large, but Hazel could tell he was crazy strong. He looked at her carefully, not exactly meeting her eyes, but not looking away. Hazel noticed he was blushing, and felt the same heat on her cheeks.

"Frank," he said slowly. "Frank Zhang." Hazel gave him a little smile, which seemed to make them both blush a little more. She sat down on the opposite side of Percy from the boy, closing her eyes.

Frank Zhang.

It was a nice name.

* * *

When she and Percy were done introducing themselves, they started to eat. Hazel mostly just listened to the conversation, stealing glances at Frank and Leo on the other side of Percy and Reyna. There was something about both of them...

Reyna caught her staring at Frank, and raised an eyebrow. Blushing, Hazel turned away, just in time to see a beautiful girl running to join them at the table. She looked like she'd tried her hardest not to make the uniform look amazing on her, but it still did. The girl couldn't do anything about the way it fit her so perfectly, or how every green and gold and blue in the uniform matched her eyes.

Hazel noticed that Jason was studying the girl just as intently as she was, and there was a slight pink in his cheeks. She got to the table, breathless, and looked over the group. "Newbies?" she asked.

Reyna answered her. "Yeah. This is my roommate, Hazel, and her friend. Percy." She put a slight emphasis on his name. Maybe not enough for Percy to notice, but Hazel could sense it after their earlier conversation.

"My roommate," Jason added, recovering from the girl's entrance as she nodded slowly.

"I'm Piper," she told Hazel, smiling. She smiled and nodded at Percy, then sat down next to Hazel. "It's nice to meet you both."

"You too," Percy said slowly, glancing between Reyna, Jason, and Piper. Hazel could tell he was trying to piece together the message they'd all shared.

"Oh my god, Jason. My roommate. I can't tell if she's amazing or the worst person on earth."

"Oh yeah?" Jason raised an eye at her.

"She reminds me of you," Piper laughed.

"Hey!" the table erupted in laughter at Jason's expression.

Recovering from her amusement, Piper said, "Her name is Annabeth. Her work ethic is _crazy_. She's a sophomore," she added, looking at Percy. "Maybe you'll meet her."

"If she's got a good work ethic, I doubt we'll have any classes together."

Hazel elbowed him. Piper just shrugged. "This girl is insane. She stayed behind from lunch because she wanted to _study_. School hasn't even _started_ yet!" Piper laughed a little bit, ducking her head-Hazel guessed it was to hide her smile, which Percy did a lot, too. It didn't work for Piper-there was nothing this girl could do to hide her beauty.

It looked like Piper caught someone's attention, and she muttered, "speak of the devil," before standing. They all watched as the girl approached. She was tall and blonde, her stormy gray eyes matching the uniform's jacket. She smiled a little bit when she saw Piper, and Hazel noticed the way she walked. She looked strong and confident, like she demanded authority. Hazel guessed this girl could probably stand toe to toe with Reyna without backing down. Maybe it would be Reyna who'd back down.

"She looks like a princess," Percy muttered in Hazel's ear, and she saw that he was focusing intently on the girl walking towards them. He noticed Hazel looking at him, and blushed. "What?" Percy said, defensively. But he didn't take his eyes off the blonde.

The girl reached the table, gray eyes trained on Percy. He stood up quickly, reaching out his hand. The girl drew down her eyebrows in a frown. "Percy Jackson," he said, and she took his hand.

"Annabeth. Annabeth Chase."

She introduced herself to the rest of the group, but everyone could tell that Annabeth only saw Percy.


	4. Chapter 4

**PERCY** Jackson had to be the most insufferable person on the planet.

He was absolutely, without a doubt, the biggest loser Annabeth had ever met.

And the cutest.

Since she'd moved to California, she'd become used to the flawless good looks that Jason had, and the awkward, almost apologetic handsomeness of people like Frank.

Percy Jackson was different. He was rugged, uncaring. He wasn't well groomed, and he always tried to hide his smile. But he was _godlike_.

Annabeth knew better than to throw around that word. She knew better than to let a boy get between she and her grades. So she ignored him... Or tried to.

There was nothing Annabeth should be attracted to in him. He was careless, he didn't pay attention in class, he had a weird sense of humor. He applied a bare minimum to _everything_. Percy Jackson was Annabeth's polar opposite.

And that's exactly why he caught her off guard.

Because there _was_ no reason for Annabeth to like Percy-none she could find. There was no reason for her to think about him when she wrote her name on her homework, or took notes in class, or before she fell asleep, or right when she woke up.

But she did.

* * *

**ANNABETH** Chase was everything Percy despised. She was a model student. She tried too hard on everything. She actually _raised her hand_ in class. She wore her uniform _exactly_ right,_ so it hugged every single curve of her body_. She always had this slightly angry look, like she'd finally encountered a problem she couldn't solve, and it got worse every time she looked at him. She had an attitude. _It could sometimes be a nice attitude_. She walked like she was better than everyone else-sometimes on accident-_-but Percy had no doubt that she actually was_.

And Hazel thought he _liked_ her. Please.

It wasn't because of Annabeth that he'd started straightening his tie a little bit better, or finally done up that last button on his shirt, or started actually _wearing_ the jacket, or brushed the hair out of his eyes.

No, Percy didn't have a crush on Annabeth Chase.

He just couldn't get her out of his head.

* * *

**PIPER** thought it was hilarious to watch Annabeth try to figure Percy Jackson out. She got to the dorm from her last class of every day-chemistry, which she had with Percy-with a slightly puzzled look, and she glared at Piper whenever she laughed.

Jason had apparently thought it was just as amusing. He told her every day about how much Percy obsessed over Annabeth, how much he obviously cared about her, even though he wouldn't admit it. Piper couldn't help but think _aw, cute!_ when she saw Annabeth and Percy in the same room.

It'd been about three weeks since classes started, and all of them had already grown pretty close. Percy and Jason had the same first period-english-and then Jason and Piper would meet Hazel at biology for second. Leo would take Hazel to art third (_'I'm not really good at drawing,'_ Leo had explained,_ 'but I do like to sketch out machines.'_) while Piper met Annabeth at English. Fourth period, Piper had Latin with Percy and Annabeth. _That_ was fun. Mr. Brunner seemed just as amused by their relationship as Piper.

They had a schedule. They made time for each other. They talked, they exchanged phone numbers (except for Percy and Annabeth, who insisted they'd never need to text the other, _ever_), and they did things normal friends did. It was weird, for a boarding school.

Piper had made up her mind that Annabeth was amazing. Now, she wondered about Jason.

She'd known him for about a year, but he said he hadn't noticed her until half a year ago. Jason always blushed when he said that, so she wondered if he was lying, or just embarrassed by the truth.

Piper couldn't lie: she'd thought about Jason romantically before. She'd imagined his strong arms holding her, his blue eyes telling her their stories, his scar rippling when they kissed. But Jason had never seemed interested in her, and Piper couldn't get him to make a move.

There was a knock at the door, and Piper wondered who it would be. Annabeth was still at her last class, and it would have just walked into the room anyways.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Hazel. "Hi," Hazel said quietly, with a small smile.

"Come in!" Piper said quickly, leading Hazel to the bed where they both sat. "What's up?"

"I, uh..." Hazel rubbed a hand behind her neck, trying to consider her words. "Are you good friends with Leo?" she decided.

Piper blinked. "Uh, yeah. We've known each other for years. Leo? Wow, I thought you and Frank-"

"It's not like that," Hazel said quickly, her signature blush showing through her dark skin. "I just... I feel like I know him. Do you know if he's ever lived in New York? Or New Orleans?"

Piper took a moment to consider Hazel's question. "Well, I know he used to live in Houston... That's pretty close to New Orleans, right? Maybe he's been," Piper told her.

Hazel nodded slowly. "Maybe... I know he reminds me of someone, I just can't remember who."

"Well, it's pretty hard to forget Leo. He's loud, obnoxious, creative, charismatic-"

"Sammy," Hazel whispered. "He reminds me of Sammy." She looked at Piper. "I used to have a friend, back in New Orleans. We went to school together for a little while. He disappeared just before I moved to New York. I never said goodbye," she said.

Piper shifted uncomfortably on the bed. This was getting dramatic. Then she remembered something that she probably shouldn't know.

"Leo used to have a brother," she said quietly. "I don't know what his name was," she added, before Hazel could ask. "He... he died. There was a fire... It killed Leo's mom and brother. That's how he ended up here. He's in foster care. It was easier for them to send him away to a school than to find him a family."

"That's... awful." Hazel looked like she was about to cry. "I... I don't think I should say anything to him, then."

"Maybe not," Piper agreed.

"Thanks, Piper. I should go. Percy has swim tryouts tomorrow," she grinned. "You should come. Invite Jason. It'll be great."

"You don't think he'll make it?" Piper asked. "It _would_ be funny to see him lose."

Hazel looked confused. "Percy's never lost," she said simply.

* * *

That night, there was another bonfire. The welcome gathering from last week had turned out uneventful, featuring an army of unenthusiastic assistants (Percy called them "Little Debbies") telling a bunch of equally bored kids the rules of Triton Academy. No fights. No drugs. No sex. The usual.

This bonfire would be better, Piper hoped. She'd actually be able to sit with her friends, and they could talk at their leisure. It was supposed to start right after the last class of the day-Piper had a free period-so she took her time. Hazel had just left, laughing about Percy in a speedo, which gave Piper some images she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about. If she were being honest, them she knew Percy would probably look good without a shirt-Hazel had said he was an amazing swimmer-but Piper felt like she were betraying someone by picturing Percy without clothes.

She scrunched up her face. She knew exactly why she felt like a traitor. And his name was Jason Grace.

Resigning herself to her discomfort, Piper decided to head to the bonfire. The bell dismissing class had rung about five minutes ago, so the hallways were full of people trying to find their friends. Piper rolled her eyes. _Other people_ kind of totally sucked.

The amphitheater was on the other side of the Big House, and it was huge. It was built into the ground, ancient Greek style, and tonight it circled a huge fire.

Piper headed straight to where the group had decided to sit-the second row of the amphitheater, facing the ocean. Percy had insisted on seeing the sunset. She was surprised to find someone already there, and had to cover her mouth before she laughed.

Annabeth and Percy were sitting next to each other-_right_ next to each other. Percy was drumming his fingers on his left knee, which was touching Annabeth's right, as if he wanted to hold her hand but didn't quite know what to do. Annabeth was playing with her hair, and both of them had their heads down. They were looking everywhere _except_ at each other, which Piper thought was pretty impressive considering how close they were.

Before she could say anything, Leo showed up behind the two of them, throwing an arm around their shoulders and pulling them closer together. Percy immediately started grumbling and cursing at Leo, and at Annabeth, and at himself, and probably at Piper and Jason and Hazel and the rest of them. Annabeth just moved over, catching Piper's eye. She gestured for Piper to sit between she and Percy, and Piper did, laughing.

Percy and Annabeth probably both thought the firelight would hide their fiercely blushing faces.

* * *

Later that night, after the rest of the group had shown up, Piper felt relaxed. She was finally settling in to the school year. She'd made friends, and she had all sorts of opportunities with them. She let go a sigh of contentment, and felt a hand on her shoulder.

She was about to turn, but she heard Jason whisper in her ear. "Don't attract any attention," he told her. Piper nodded, and he went on. "I told you I didn't really know you until about six months ago," he said. Piper nodded again. "That's not the truth. I've known you forever, Piper McLean. You're exactly what I didn't know I was waiting for. I..."

Piper just waited, trying to control her breathing. Was this really happening?

Jason laughed softly, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "I don't know what else to say. Piper..."

She turned towards Jason and kissed him before he had the chance to say anything else.

* * *

When she and Annabeth returned to their room, Piper still had butterflies. She had kissed Jason Grace. _Jason Grace_. In front of everyone.

If Piper was flustered, it was only because that was her first kiss. Ever._ And it was with Jason Grace_. She told Annabeth she was going to bed, and Annabeth said she'd be up for a while.

Piper lay down on her mattress, not sleeping. She stayed up for a really long time. Annabeth was sitting at her desk, typing on her laptop, and she slowed to a stop, probably hours after Piper had first gotten in bed.

"I'm in love with Percy Jackson," she whispered.

Piper smiled. Annabeth thought she was asleep.

"I know," Piper said, and closed her eyes.

* * *

**HAZEL** woke Reyna at 4:30. "Reyna," she whispered cautiously. Her eyes opened instantly, scanning the room before recognizing Hazel in the dark.

"Hyll-Hazel? Why...?" Reyna rubbed her eyes, sitting up. "_What time is it?_" she asked, suddenly alert.

"It's... It's 4:30. I'm sorry. You said you wanted to be at Percy's swim tryouts." Hazel backed away from Reyna's bed as she swung her legs over the side.

"I did. I do. But if I had known they were this _early_..." Reyna warned.

"You're up now," Hazel told her carefully.

"I guess I am."

Hazel and Reyna woke up the rest of the group who'd wanted to come. Leo and Frank wanted no part of it, but Piper-and, Hazel guessed, Annabeth too-were pretty enthusiastic. When Hazel made it to Percy's dorm, Jason opened the door, annoyed. "Don't even think about it," he said.

"Oh, come on. You don't want to come?" Hazel asked.

Jason glanced at Piper, blushed, and said, "give me a minute."

The five of them walked across the green to the gym.

When they found the pool-it was huge-there weren't very many people in the stands. Hazel caught sight of Percy before he disappeared into the locker room and waved. She grinned at her friends.

"Someone's excited," Piper muttered, still sleepy. "I hope it's worth it." She looked at Jason and blushed, probably for the thousandth time this morning.

Hazel noticed Annabeth was on the far side of the group from Piper, and wondered if something had happened between them. Maybe it was nothing, but still. They were roommates, it would make sense for them to walk next to each other.

Hazel shrugged in response to Piper. "He loves swimming," she told them. "It's one of the only things he's actually passionate about. We pretty much grew up together, and sometimes it was tough. I like seeing him happy."

Annabeth nodded, then blushed when she saw Piper glance at her. Okay, something had _definitely_ happened.

They were about to find seats on the bleachers when Hazel recognized a girl walking between everyone, talking to people unnecessarily. "Debby 2.0," she muttered as the girl approached.

"Hi. Can I ask why you're here?" she said, her annoyingly infectious smile looking forced.

"Supporting a friend," Jason grumbled, yawning.

Debby 2.0 faltered. "Okay, just don't miss out on any of your morning classes. There won't be any excuses if you end up falling asleep," she warned.

"That's great, thanks," Hazel said sarcastically. If Debby 2.0 caught on, she didn't show it, and just walked away.

They finally sat down, and the boys came out of the locker room to line up by the edge of the pool. A few girls in the front row whistled appreciatively, which made Hazel blush.

She saw Percy looking for them, and he stared at each of them in turn when he recognized them. He blushed when he saw Annabeth, who's face was at least as red as his.

That was different. Percy used to look at every girl staring at him and the crowd and then grin at Hazel. He'd never seemed to _relish_ in the attention, but now he seemed downright embarrassed. Hazel cast a sidelong glance at Annabeth. This girl had somehow managed to change Percy. She couldn't be sure yet if it was for the better.

Hazel caught Reyna looking at Percy intently, while the rest of the group seemed to be sizing up the competition. Reyna blushed when she noticed Hazel. She muttered something about making sure he was fit enough to take them on, giving Hazel a challenging stare. She decided not to press her.

A coach started shouting a few things about how the top five times would be placed on the varsity team, and before Hazel knew it, the whistle blew and all of the boys dove into the water. This was it.

She watched all of her friends, making sure they noticed exactly what was happening.

At first, no one took a lead. They were supposed to do twenty laps, back and forth across the pool. It wasn't until just before they all reached the back wall that Percy took a slight lead over another boy, then launched himself off the wall and increased the distance between them.

When Percy reached the wall, he was half the length of the pool ahead of the next boy. He started carving through the water even faster, and Hazel could see one or two boys focusing on him.

"He's fast," Jason commented. "Really fast."

Hazel grinned. "He hasn't even started yet." It was true. Percy didn't _really_ start to show off until he was at least a full lap ahead-which Hazel figured wouldn't take too much longer.

Sure enough, he reached the next wall just as some of the other kids pushed off the last one. Suddenly, Hazel could see a visible change in the way he paced himself. When he pushed off the back wall, he cut through the water, racing like a jet towards the side of the pool where the stands were.

Hazel heard Annabeth take in a quick breath, and noticed that even Piper and Jason were taking interest. All of the other boys in the pool churned the water white whenever they broke the water's surface, but Percy cut through the water cleanly. It seemed to part around him, propelling him forward faster than anyone else in the pool would ever go.

Percy was at least two laps ahead of the next fastest swimmer at this point. Hazel saw Reyna leaning forward, her eyes focused on studying the clear leader of the race. Annabeth was doing the same. Hazel suddenly wondered what would happen if these two were to fight over a boy.

Eventually, Percy catapulted himself out of the water, catching his breath before standing up and shaking the dumbfounded coach's hand. The other boys were still in the water, and none of them looked like they were almost done. Hazel grinned, standing to congratulate Percy, when she saw Debby 2.0 rushing towards him. She could hear her nasally voice from here.

"Oh my god, Percy. That was amazing. You set a record for everyone who's ever been in the pool, and the season hasn't even _started_ yet! I can't wait to see what you do in a real race. You were_ so fast_. You know, I'll be at all of the meets this year." She went on, and on, and on.

"Hey, that's great," Percy told her. One boy was finally getting out of the pool. Another. "I wasn't really at my best. I actually have to talk to a couple of people..." He said dismissively.

"Oh, yeah! Of course. I..." Hazel could tell Percy was ignoring her as he made his way over to the group. He raised his arms to his sides, inadvertently causing his entire torso to ripple with lean muscle, and grinned.

"So?" he asked. He seemed oblivious to Annabeth and Reyna's red faces, or the girls snickering at him from a couple rows over.

Jason rolled his eyes. "You should join the Olympics. I'm sure Michael Phelps would be no match for you on steroids," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He laughed, clapping Percy on the back. "Congratulations. You're now officially locked in to Triton Academy."

Percy groaned, stealing a glance at Annabeth, who was pointedly staring at the last boys getting out of the pool. Then he blushed and looked away, as if reminding himself that he wasn't supposed to care what Annabeth thought.

Yeah, right.

"You were a little slow," Hazel admitted truthfully. Percy just nodded, like he'd had the same thought. "Distracted?"

If it were possible, Percy blushed even deeper. "I guess," he muttered.

"It was amazing," Piper told him. "Have you ever tried surfing?" she asked.

Percy just shrugged. "Can't really surf in New York," he told her.

"Remind me to take you, sometime. All of you," she added."

The coach seemed to have finally gotten over his shock. "JACKSON!" He shouted. "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Hazel noticed the coach and the other boys were already returning to the locker room.

"Good job," Hazel told him with a smile. Percy grinned.

"'A little slow,'" he repeated. "I'll show you, Hazel Levesque. He jogged to catch up with the rest of the guys in the locker room, but Hazel saw him steal one last look at Annabeth before disappearing behind the door.

* * *

**PERCY** wondered if Annabeth had been paying attention. He hoped she was. Not because he wanted her to notice him, though. Just so she could see how their school would be represented.

Oh, who was he kidding? Percy was in love with Annabeth Chase.

And she hadn't even paid him a speck of attention.

_She showed up_, he reminded himself. _That's got to mean something_. No sane person would want to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to watch swim tryouts unless they cared.

His mouth twisted. Annabeth was far from sane.

Percy sighed, regretfully. If Annabeth hadn't noticed him winning that race, then it was pretty much all for nothing.

* * *

**ANNABETH** was having trouble catching her breath, even two and a half hours later, when classes were starting.

She hadn't gone back to sleep. Piper had started poking fun at her on their way back to the dorm, and Annabeth was hit with a fresh wave of embarrassment over last night. But when Annabeth closed her eyes, she saw him.

She could still picture him perfectly, carving through the water gracefully. It didn't hurt that he was wearing tight trunks the size of boxers.

Annabeth had no doubt that the water was Percy's element. He seemed so natural there, so at peace, in a way he never could have been in a classroom. He'd seemed completely and utterly _perfect_ in the pool.

Even if Percy had been fully clothed, he still would have taken Annabeth's breath away. She'd seen a side of him he'd never shown her before-a side that was intent and focused, calm and determined. He had finally shown something he truly cared for, a side of him full of utter commitment and passion. Gone was the rugged teenager who cared nothing for how he looked or what he wore, for where he went to school or what classes he took. This was a Percy who fought for something.

Suddenly, Annabeth knew exactly why she'd fallen for Percy Jackson.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the long update, this was a difficult chapter. Actually, sorry about this whole chapter, I have no idea how to write Jason, so here's a super quick, super weird POV for him. **

**Also, you can tell I took a lot of liberties with their ages. It's confusing. For the purposes of this fic, Jason, Hazel, Leo, and Piper are all freshmen. Percy, Annabeth, and Frank are sophomores. Reyna is a junior. And just ignore the fact that I called it the "sophomore wing." I changed my mind. But I still have no explanation for why the freshmen are rooming with sophomores and juniors.**

* * *

**JASON** woke up ten minutes before he had to get to English. He groaned. Usually, he was out of bed and ready for the day an hour earlier. Now, he'd have to forego a shower until tonight after school and rush to get ready in time.

Jason sat up and threw off the sheets, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He sat there for a minute, and smiled.

_Piper_. He'd thought about her until he fell asleep last night. Jason almost couldn't believe that he'd actually told her. He'd had a crush on her for a year. When she'd finally started talking to him about six months ago, he'd thought he was going to have a heart attack.

Now, he knew she felt the same way. It was insane. _She'd_ kissed him–not the other way around. Jason still had butterflies.

The smile still plastered on his face, Jason straightened and got ready for the day. Percy was gone, and Jason was actually relieved—he'd talked Jason's head off after they got back from tryouts, and Jason listened–or, pretended to–until he fell asleep. Now, he couldn't even remember what Percy had said.

He ended up making it to class five minutes before he should even have left the dorm. When he walked in the room, he saw Percy sitting at a desk, the teacher, Mr. Blofis, standing over him. "I know you understand the material, Percy," Mr. Blofis was saying.

"I don't. I can't even _read_ it. I just don't _get_ it," Percy replied.

"Concentrate, Percy. Just relax. I–"

"Jason!" Percy stood up when he saw him, clearly embarrassed. "Uh, hey."

"Mr. Grace," the teacher said, standing up straight. "You're early. Earlier than usual," he added.

"Yeah, uh, I was in a hurry. So..."

"Mr. Jackson was just getting in some extra tutoring," Mr. Blofis told him.

Percy gasped, a look of betrayal plain on his face when he looked at Mr. Blofis. "I..." he looked at Jason, and his shoulders slumped. "Yeah."

"It's not a big deal, man," Jason said quickly. Really, it wasn't. Jason had already known that Percy wasn't at a level he should have been for his age–it was why he and Jason had the same English class, even though Percy was a year ahead of him. He also knew it wasn't _really_ his fault. Percy had a lot of trouble reading. He tried to play it off, but Jason knew that Percy resented himself for not being in the class he should have been.

A flash of irritation crossed Percy's face. "It is," he said. "I _should_ be able to do it. I can't–"

"Percy," Mr. Blofis interrupted.

Percy sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "You're right. It shouldn't be a big deal."

"Percy, seriously, it's fine. Nothing is going to change," Jason said.

Percy just nodded as a bell rang and they heard voices in the hallway. Other students were on their way to class. Jason sat down at his desk next to Percy's.

* * *

The rest of the day was pretty normal. Piper and Hazel talked a lot during biology, but Piper leaned over and grasped his hand at one point. Her hand was soft, and strong. She held his loosely, but in a way so that Jason wouldn't be able to let go. Not that he would have.

After school, Jason had football practice. He didn't do much, just worked on his passes and ran a few plays. He'd convinced Frank to join the team, and the guy was actually really good, despite his awkwardness (and his constant grumbling about playing an American sport).

Jason noticed the cheerleading tryouts across the field–most of the guys were watching them already–and saw some older girls laughing at a heavier freshman who'd fallen in the middle of a cheer. He was instantly irritated. These girls had no right to make fun of someone who was putting forward an effort like that. Jason was ready to march over there and tell them off, but he saw another girl already doing it.

Piper.

She marched straight up to the oldest girl, the one who was making fun of the girl on the ground. Jason saw the surprised look on the older girl's face–Drew, he thought, a junior–even from the other side of the field. Jason was as shocked as she was. Piper _hated_ cheerleaders. What was she doing trying out for the team?

Drew turned to her friends, but they were silent. She looked like she was making fun of Piper now, but her friends weren't laughing. Finally, Drew stormed off. A couple of the guys on the team cheered, calling out to Piper, until Frank elbowed them, gesturing at Jason.

The guys blushed as realization dawned on their faces, but Jason thought his face was probably redder. He looked back towards the girls, and saw Piper walking towards him. When she covered the distance, she marched right up in front of him.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"H-hi," Jason answered. His face was warm, and he was conscious of how sweaty he was.

Piper glanced at the rest of the team, then grinned slyly at Jason. Before he could react, she reached up to kiss him. It was amazing. She rested her hands on his shoulders, standing on the tips of her toes so she could reach his face. By the time Jason recovered, Piper was already walking back to cheer tryouts, facing away from him.

* * *

Later, after dealing with all of the jeers from his teammates, Jason found a text waiting for him from Piper:

**You liked that?**

Jason blushed, even though Piper wasn't anywhere near him. He tried to think of a reply, before typing out:

**Ha. A lot more than I should have.**

He hesitated before sending the next message. Maybe he was being too forward. Could you be too forward with a girlfriend? Probably.

**Maybe you should give me a chance to kiss you back next time.**

Jason reached his dorm before he got the Piper's reply.

**Next time?**

His heart leapt out of his chest. He was such an idiot. He should have thought it through more. Now she would–his phone vibrated.

**I like the sound of that.**

Jason relaxed, relief flooding him as he fell onto his bed and loosened his tie.

**Me too.**

* * *

**FRANK** got a call from his grandmother when he got back to his dorm from football practice. Leo was tinkering with something at his desk, and Frank rolled his eyes when Leo grinned at him. He answered the call with a tentative, "Grandmother?"

Leo lifted his hand to his ears, taking a mock phone call._ 'Grandmother?'_ he mouthed. Frank scowled back at him.

"Fai. You need to come home," his grandmother said briskly.

"Uh... Grandmother," he said. "School _just_ started. I can't really–"

"It's your mother, Fai."

Frank's throat clenched. _His mother?_ Frank's mom was serving in Afghanistan. If something had happened to her...

"My mother?" he asked slowly, trying to keep his voice level. Grandmother would probably shout at him if she heard any hesitation in his voice. "What... what happened?"

There was crackling on the other end. Frank held his breath. Leo had stopped fiddling with whatever was on the desk, and was watching him anxiously.

"She's gone, Frank." Frank dropped his phone onto the bed, shocked. He didn't even register that his grandmother had called him Frank, instead of the name she'd given him, Fai. He barely registered her words at all._ She's gone_, he repeated in his mind.

Leo stood up cautiously, walking over to the bed where Frank sat. He looked at him, half sympathetic, half confused, like he wasn't used to dealing with other people. He sat on the bed near Frank without a word.

Frank looked back at the phone. The call had ended. He looked over at Leo, trying to form the words. "My mom," was all he managed to get out.

Leo just nodded. "I..." he said, trying to figure out what to say. "I lost mine, too."

Frank looked at Leo without a word. There were tears streaming down his face, but Frank still couldn't believe it. His mom was gone. _Gone_. It didn't seem real.

Leo kept going when Frank didn't reply. "There was a fire," he said carefully. "She and my brother..." he closed his eyes. "It was my fault." Leo looked at Frank. "I'm not going to tell you it gets easier. That's bull shit, man." Leo looked like this was probably the longest conversation he'd ever had that wasn't about mechanics, but Frank was hardly paying attention. _She's gone_.

"It only gets harder. Every day, you wonder what your life would be like if she were still there. But that's not the hard part." Leo put a hand on Frank's shoulder, which seemed to surprise both of them. "It gets harder when you blame yourself. When you think about the things you did wrong, when you remember the last time you saw her. When you think all those things, and don't ever tell anyone. When you bottle it up."

Frank shut his eyes, tight, trying to stop the tears. Without even knowing why, he hugged Leo. He immediately felt the smaller boy tense, and Frank thought about pulling away. Then Leo slowly rested a hand on Frank's back. "It's fine, dude," he murmured.

Frank shook as he cried. He pulled away from Leo, grabbing his phone. "I've got to go," he said. He called his grandmother back as he rushed out of the room, only vaguely hearing Leo cry.

* * *

Frank rapped on Hazel's door, trying to wipe the tears from his face. His grandmother had told him there would be a military burial, and that he'd need to be there. She told him she would call the school to get him a couple of weeks off, but Frank doubted he'd be back that early. He just needed to say goodbye.

Reyna opened the door, looking slightly irritated. She glared at him for half a second before her gaze softened. "Are–"

"Is Hazel here?" he interrupted. Reyna frowned, opening her mouth to reply, when Hazel appeared next to her.

"Frank?" she said. Looking at her, Frank was able to remember all of the things he'd come to care for. Her golden eyes studied him, full of worry. She was beautiful.

Seeing her there, more precious than all the gold in the world, Frank was reminded of everything good. And he was reminded of his mom. _She's gone_.

"Hey," Hazel said softly, pulling the door closed as she stepped into the hallway, waving Reyna back into the room. "Are you... Are you okay?"

"I..." Frank took a deep breath. "I'm leaving Triton."

Hazel looked startled. "You–but–"

"I have to," he told her. "It's..." he closed his eyes, fighting fresh tears. He found himself saying, "She's gone," to Hazel.

"Frank? Who's gone? Are you alright?" Hazel asked, but she sounded to Frank like he was underwater. He felt himself crying, slumping against Hazel's door as he sat down.

Frank could remember when he'd last seen his mom. She'd given him only one promise–that she would come back. That she would see him again. She'd told Frank that when she got back, it would be Christmas, and things would be just fine.

Now, he and his grandmother would spend Christmas alone.

He should have been the first to know. Frank should have been at the door, ready to hear the news that his mother was dead. He should have been the one to tell his grandmother that her daughter had been killed. It shouldn't have happened the way it did.

Frank found himself telling Hazel about all of his greatest memories of his mom. When she'd confided in him that his grandmother was just a _little_ bit crazy. When she'd told him about how brave his father was, and that Frank would one day be a greater man than even him. When she'd taught him about the snow, how the freshest, most beautiful mounds would melt before the harsh ice they covered. How even when the ground was no longer white, the snow would always come back, just like her.

Except now, she wouldn't be coming back. Hazel hugged him, and he poured all of his pain into her, saying goodbye to his mother–and, maybe, to Hazel too.

His mother wasn't coming back to Frank. And Frank wasn't sure he'd be coming back to Hazel, either.

* * *

**LEO** wasn't prepared for Frank to leave. Sure, he teased the big guy, but he'd come to be at least _kind of_ comfortable around him. Leo had watched without a word as Frank found out about his mom's death. It was sad, Leo knew. He should have said goodbye to Frank, at least, but he was too preoccupied thinking about his own mom. He'd been doing that a lot this year. Leo didn't know what had changed, but he'd noticed Hazel staring at him sometimes, like she were trying to figure out what kept him going. _Maybe she knows?_ Leo wondered. Maybe Hazel knew he had killed his mom. Maybe that's why she could like Frank, and not him, even when Frank left her. Because Frank had to deal with the fact that he hadn't said goodbye to his mom, but Leo _had_ said goodbye. Only, he shouldn't have had to.

* * *

**FRANK** left on a Saturday. The whole group saw him off at the green. He said goodbye to Piper first, who he wasn't really close to, but was astounded by her acceptance of him. Piper smiled and said, "Just come back," as she gave him a hug. Frank gave her a weak twitch of his lips in reply.

Reyna gripped his arm and didn't say anything, but she gestured to Hazel, which made Frank feel guilty.

Annabeth was nice to him. She gave him a quick hug and a lot of reassurances. Her smile was a little bit sad.

Jason clapped him on the shoulder, before apparently deciding on a hug. "We'll miss you, man," he told him. Frank nodded, not trusting himself to speak. These people had become his best friends. He had actually come to think of Triton as a home.

Percy grinned at him, his green eyes twinkling, but Frank saw sadness behind them. He'd come to really like Percy. He was strong and brave, even though he tried not to act like it. People thought Percy was a slacker in school, but Frank knew he tried a lot harder than anyone else. It was difficult for Percy.

Percy ended up throwing an arm around him, telling him about the blue cookies he'd forgotten to make–what was his deal with blue food?–and how they'd be waiting for Frank when he came back (but probably not, Percy told him).

Percy smiled when he told Frank goodbye–he didn't offer up any sympathy, which Frank appreciated.

Leo wasn't there, and seeing his crooked grin missing from the group, Frank realized that he'd actually miss his roommate. Leo was just part of his life, part of his schedule. He'd miss him, maybe more than the others. Frank had found himself actually appreciating Leo's awful jokes, and his weird sense of humor. He appreciated what Leo had told him when Frank found out._ It only gets harder_, Frank thought. Saying goodbye was the hardest thing he'd done yet. He turned to Hazel.

"Let me walk you to the cab," she said quietly. Frank nodded a final goodbye to the rest of the group, turning to join Hazel as she guided him away from Triton Academy.

"I know you're going to come back, Frank. You might not realize it, but you will." She spoke softly, quietly, resigned.

Frank turned to look at her again. "How can you know that?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"I trust you, Frank," she looked like she was holding back tears, ready to burst. "You and I–we're not done yet." Hazel smiled.

The way she spoke was old fashioned and endearing, and suddenly, Frank found himself reaching forward and pulling her into a hug. "Hazel," he said, and realized he was crying.

She was crying too, now. After a long time, they pulled apart. "Come back, Frank. Don't forget us," she smiled, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek.

Frank didn't trust himself to reply. When he got into the cab, he felt at the place where Hazel had kissed him. _'Come back,_' she'd said. Frank still didn't plan on it.

As he drove away from his new home, he found himself realizing that not being with Hazel was his only regret.

* * *

**HAZEL** watched without a word as Frank's cab drove away, wondering if she'd ever see him again. The thought floored her, and she sat down, hard, not knowing if Frank would come back to her.

She knew he thought he wouldn't. Hazel could see the regret in his eyes, and knew he didn't plan on returning. She thought she'd be able to convince him, but Frank seemed absolutely certain that he needed to be at home. His real home.

She was shaking when Percy lifted her off the ground, guiding her back to her dorm as the rest of the group just watched.

* * *

It had been a week since Frank left when Leo was assigned a new roommate. The thought made Hazel sick to her stomach–they were replacing him? Already? How _dare_ they?–but she was determined not to absolutely hate the new kid. He was supposed to be a freshman, like her, so maybe they'd have classes together.

Percy knocked on her door. She could tell it was him, because he always knocked exactly three times. Hazel rolled her eyes, opening the door. "Lunchtime," he said, before realizing she was wearing pajamas. He pursed his lips dissaprovingly. "No school today?" he asked her.

"No."

"You know, Frank leaving... There's nothing you could have done." Percy looked at her carefully, studying her with those green eyes she'd always found both comforting and intense.

"The new roommate..." she started.

"He'll be fine. It's only temporary. When Frank comes back, he'll get a new room. It'll all work out, Hazel." His voice was reassuring, but he was still studying her.

Hazel sighed. "I don't think–"

"Get dressed," he said suddenly. "We're going to lunch."

"But... Leo will be bringing his new roommate to the table... I don't know if I can..." she tried, unsuccessfully, to form a full sentence.

Percy just rolled his eyes. "Meet me on the green," he told her, walking down the hall.

"And what if I don't?" Hazel shouted after him.

She heard Percy's laugh before he turned a corner. "You will."

Hazel sighed. He was right.

* * *

Percy took her arm in his as he walked her across the green, telling her stupid jokes in an effort to cheer her up. It only _kind of_ worked. When they entered the mess hall, it was loud, and awful, and everyone was annoying. Percy rolled his eyes and guided her to their usual table.

Leo wasn't there.

Hazel didn't know whether she should feel relieved or anxious. She didn't think she would be able to accept Leo's new roommate as anything except a _replacement_ for Frank. But no one could replace him. No one could even try.

Hazel realized at that moment that she needed Frank to come back. She needed to tell him that.

She heard Leo's loud laughter over the sounds of the mess hall, and sat down at the table without turning around, gripping Percy's arm. He sat next to her, across from Jason. Piper was across from Hazel, and she raised her eyebrows in silent question._ 'Are you okay?'_ she mouthed.

Hazel gave a sharp nod in reply, looking down at her food. She saw Percy pour blue food coloring into his coke, like he did every other day. She saw Jason loosely drape his arm around Piper's shoulder, as usual. She saw Reyna picking at her food, glancing occasionally at Jason and Percy. She saw Annabeth trying to read and eat at the same time. She noticed that everything, at this moment, was exactly the same as it had been. But it _shouldn't_ be the same. Frank was gone. Everything should be worse.

Hazel noticed the two empty seats across from each other at the end of the table, waiting to be filled by Leo and Frank. _No_, she thought. _Not Frank_. Whoever Leo's roommate was, he could never compare to Frank.

Leo got to the table with a cocky smile, guiding a young boy who looked indescribably uncomfortable next to him. Hazel gripped Percy's arm tighter, but he moved to rest his hand on her shoulder as the conversation died down around the table. Everyone looked up at the tiny, awkward boy next to Leo.

"This is Nico," Leo announced. Hazel barely registered her shock. She felt Percy's grip tighten considerably on her shoulder, thinking, _of course_. Wondering how she couldn't recognize this sad-eyed boy whose face told a thousand stories.

Nico's eyes scanned the group, like he was looking for a way out. Eventually, they settled on Hazel. "Nico di Angelo," he said shyly, and Hazel collapsed.

* * *

**LEO** wasn't _exactly_ sure what had happened. One minute, he was introducing his new roommate to the gang, and the next, Percy was carrying Hazel to the nurse. Everyone at the table got up to follow them, and Leo was left alone with Nico.

"So," he said casually. "Not a great first impression."

Nico looked at him, horrified. "Who is she?" he asked. "What did I do?"

Leo shrugged, grabbing Jason's tray and picking some French fries off of it. He offered one to Nico, who looked taken aback. The kid was wearing an aviator jacket that was at least a size too big for him. He looked like he was drowning in it.

"That," Leo said, "would be Hazel Levesque."

Nico looked like he was concentrating hard on something. "And... I'm guessing she doesn't normally do that," he said.

"You're right," Leo grinned. "Must've been your fault."

Nico blushed, which looked strange on his pale, gaunt face. "I had no clue," he said quietly. "Should we... should we check on her?"

Leo just shrugged again. "I'm sure they'll fuss over her enough without you." He grabbed an apple off the table and offered it to Nico, who looked like he'd had maybe one meal his whole life. Sure, Leo was scrawny, but Nico gave off this creepy skeleton vibe.

Nico didn't take the apple. "By all means, go ahead," Leo told him. He didn't actually expect his new roommate to run off to the nurse's office.


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow lmao I suck**

**I AM SO SORRY SO SO SORRY I AM A DISAPPOINTMENT SORRY SORRY**

**I guess I am incapable of writing anything unless I'm at my dad's house because I'm bored out of my mind here but SORRY**

**VERY SORRY**

* * *

**PERCY** waited as the nurse dismissed the other students, glancing over at where Hazel was resting on a cot. The nurse turned to him, raising an expectant eyebrow, and he just said, "No way," before sitting down in a chair against the wall.

The nurse sighed audibly, turning away and walking off to her desk. She'd told Percy that Hazel would most likely be fine and that all they could do was wait until she woke up–which should have been any minute now. Percy was determined to be there.

He was still trying to process everything. _Nico di Angelo_. Hazel's... Brother? Half-brother? Percy just couldn't wrap his mind around it–Hazel had told him about the guy just over a month ago. Her mom had given her the ruby, which had made Hazel remember Nico, and then...

And then he showed up _here_, at Triton. It couldn't be a coincidence... right?

Percy was still lost in thought when he heard the door to the nurse's office open. He looked up, just as a gaunt, pale-faced boy with dark hair and darker eyes walked in.

The boy spotted him, and stopped. He stood in the doorway for a minute, glancing from Percy to Hazel and back again. _Does he know?_ Percy thought, but quickly decided that he couldn't. If he had, he might not have shown up here.

A tint of red was slowly creeping onto the boy's face, and Percy realized that he should probably say something. "Nico di Angelo," he said, just as Nico was saying the same.

His blush was fiercer now, and Nico's hand crept up to rub at the back of his neck as he looked toward the floor. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, um, I'm Leo's roommate. Is she... Is she okay?" he gestured to Hazel.

"She should be," Percy told him shortly. He wasn't sure how to react to Nico. Should he stand up for him, and try to encourage Hazel to get to know him? Should he be his friend, because being Leo's roommate had to be unbearable? Should he defend Hazel instead, because she might not be able to handle the instability that he represented? Percy didn't know what to do about Nico di Angelo.

Nico was wringing his hands together, nodding fiercely. "Good. Good," he was saying. He glanced back at Hazel, like he was worried she might wake up and yell at him. Percy hoped she would. Talking to Nico alone was... awkward.

"So, uh..." Percy started, deciding he should get to know Nico a little bit.

"Oh, I'll leave!" Nico said quickly, backing towards the door.

Percy made a small frown. "That's not–"

"It's fine," Nico interrupted–again way too fast.

Drawing his eyebrows together tightly, Percy tried to figure out why Nico didn't want to be here. "I just wanted–"

"I actually have to go anyway," Nico said, cutting Percy off. Percy hoped this wasn't a habit of his.

"Okay..." he started, but Nico was already dashing out the door.

* * *

Hazel woke up only a few seconds after Nico left–the door was still swinging. Relieved, Percy signalled the nurse, who walked over to the cot. She asked Hazel a bunch of questions about how she was feeling–had she been sick today? Was she getting enough vitamins?–to which the answer was usually "uh-huh," or "fine."

The nurse finally asked Hazel if she wanted to rest in the office until her next class, and Hazel frowned for a minute before answering no. She looked at Percy, like she was just realizing he was there. "What time is it?" she asked him.

"Don't worry, it's still lunch." It had only been about ten minutes since Nico di Angelo had shown up at lunch.

Hazel closed her eyes. "It feels like longer," she muttered, before hopping off the cot and walking out the door.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, crossing the green back to the Mess Hall. Percy tucked his hands into his back pockets, unsure of what to do with them without the usual pockets of his hoodie. Even after a month, he still wasn't used to the uniform.

Hazel stopped suddenly in front of the Mess Hall. "I think I'll just go back to my dorm," she said quietly.

"Are you sure?" Percy asked. "The nurse said you could rest in her room..."

"No. I'm sure," Hazel said firmly. She looked up at him, confusion clear in her eyes behind the faint reflection of tears.

"Hey," Percy said, grabbing her shoulder before pulling her into a tight hug.

Hazel collapsed against him, clutching his back tightly. When she pulled back, Percy could see the tears spilling down her cheeks. Percy was going to say something, but she smiled at him sadly before hugging him again and walking briskly towards the housing building.

Percy watched her before returning to the table for lunch–he couldn't believe he'd almost skipped a meal.

* * *

Nico wasn't there when he got to the table. The conversation died down a little, and everyone kind of raised their eyebrows at him–no doubt wondering about Hazel.

"She's fine," Percy assured them. "She went back to her dorm."

Reyna nodded thoughtfully, returning to her food. When he sat down, Piper leaned across the table to touch his arm. Her eyes were drawn down, concerned. "Does the nurse know why she passed out? Are you sure she'll be okay?"

"She said it was probably some sort of shock... my guess is, you know, the whole thing with Frank being replaced." Percy knew he shouldn't tell anyone about Nico, and hey–he wasn't exactly _lying_.

Piper nodded, but she still looked concerned. "And... are _you_ okay?" she asked.

Percy realized he was frowning, and abruptly broke into a grin. "Hey, come on. I'll be fine," he teased. "And... so will Hazel."

She didn't look convinced, but Piper let it go. Percy glanced over at Annabeth, realizing that Hazel wasn't sitting between them right now, and that their side of the table–just the two of them, with Nico and Hazel gone–seemed very small. She smiled reassuringly, which made him feel _almost_ better, since he was pretty sure she hated him, but also a lot worse. He was hiding a lot from these people–from his friends.

Percy just sighed, picking at his lunch. He'd become really close to this group. Leo's corny jokes, Reyna's confidence. Jason's kindness, Piper's charm. Annabeth's... a lot of things. He missed Frank. Overall, he had a pretty good thing going here.

Percy wondered how long it would take him to screw it all up.

* * *

Percy stopped at the door to his dorm, causing Jason to run into him. He muttered an apology while he bent down to grab the envelope that had been tucked under the door. _Percy Jackson_, it read. Uh oh.

Percy sat down on his bunk while Jason got ready to head to his next period. He opened the letter slowly, taking care not to tear it.

Between his nerves and his dyslexia, it took Percy a while to read the letter, even though it was short. It didn't take him long to realize that it was bad news.

_Perseus, _

_I understand your reservations about attending Triton. However, I hope it has been made clear to you the opportunities that are presented to students at this school. We have the finest educators in California, and our additional tutoring courses are tailored to each student based on their needs._

_I know, as well, that you have your reservations regarding me. However, I'll be visiting the Academy within the week. _

There was no name on the letter. Why would there be? Percy knew who it was from. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He tried to keep from being angry.

But why should he? Percy's father had finally reached out to him directly, just for a generic paragraph he'd probably seen in the brochure a month ago. Then he told him that he'd be _here_, on campus, this week. Percy wasn't ready for that.

Percy realized Jason was still in the room even before he opened his eyes. He was lingering at the door, looking at Percy. "You alright?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh," Percy got out, still reacting. His dad was coming. The man he'd blamed for his mom's struggles more than any other–even Smelly Gabe. He would be here, in front of Percy, this week. Percy knew they had to meet, but he almost thought both their lives would be better if they never did.

"Yeah," he said eventually, remembering Jason's question. "Yeah, just... I think I might not go to my last few classes today," Percy finished.

Jason frowned–Percy knew he was a stickler for the rules. Eventually, Jason just shrugged. "You look sick to me," he said. "Just... we're friends, man. You can talk to any of us."

Percy studied Jason for a minute before he nodded. "You don't want to be late," he said, and Jason smiled a quick "later," before leaving.

Percy studied the letter again and again. He let the letters jumble into an unrecognizable mess before he tore it up and threw it away.

* * *

**HAZEL** lay on her bunk without sleeping. She guessed Reyna had gone straight to class after lunch, because she hadn't returned to the dorm. She'd gotten a couple of texts from Piper and Annabeth, but Hazel ignored them.

She was looking at the ruby Percy's mom had given her. It was dull and harsh, not carved like the smaller gems they'd sold in her mom's shop. It didn't catch any light from the shade of her bed.

She'd stopped crying a long time ago. Now Hazel was just angry.

Why had her mother wanted her to have this reminder? Hazel's life had been awful in New Orleans. Her mother had become stubborn and cruel. It wasn't until they'd moved to New York that she'd stopped abusing Hazel, and she was still wary of her mom. She spent as much time away from home as possible, always fearful of her temper. But at least her mother was bearable now–the ruby was just a reminder that she hadn't always been.

And now, Nico di Angelo was here. She'd only talked to him once, but she remembered his mother vividly. She was the one that had changed everything. It was because of her that Hazel's mother had moved to New York.

Hazel couldn't believe that it was a coincidence–things didn't work like that. But how could Nico end up here?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She realized it was pretty late–classes would be over. Hazel opened the door to find not Reyna, but Piper.

She frowned in confusion before remembering to smile and welcome Piper in. Piper walked straight to Reyna's bed and plopped down, leaving Hazel to awkwardly shuffle back to her own.

"What's up?" Piper asked nonchalantly, picking at her nails.

"Uh... not much, I guess. I'm fine, if that's what you're wondering."

Piper raised an eyebrow, but didn't look up from her nails. "Frankly,"–Hazel winced. Ouch–"I don't believe you."

Hazel frowned harshly. "I am. I'm over it. I was dehydrated."

"Percy said it was probably some sort of shock."

"_I'm fine_," Hazel assured her, slightly annoyed.

Piper laughed a little, but it sounded hollow. After a minute, she said, "We'll all miss him," and turned to Hazel. "Until he comes back, we'll all be waiting for Frank."

Hazel closed her eyes to force back the small, weak tears. "He's not coming back," she whispered.

In an instant, Piper was at her side, holding her with one arm. Hazel didn't even think to pull away. "You can't know that," Piper told her softly.

"I do," Hazel spat, wiping at her face. "I could tell. I tried to convince him to stay..." she kept wiping tears away, but more were coming. Piper grabbed her hand and pulled it away from her face.

"You have to cry," she said, "because you have to remember." Piper held Hazel tightly.

Hazel didn't respond. Piper got up, putting her hands to her hips and looking down at Hazel. "We're friends," she said suddenly. "Hazel, you can't go through this alone. We're all here for you." After a moment of thought, she added, "I'll invite Annabeth over."

"No–" Hazel started, only to be cut off.

"She's coming," Piper said firmly. "You're not alone," she said more softly, sitting back down next to Hazel.

Hazel stopped crying eventually, but her eyes were still wet when Reyna and Annabeth made it back from track practice. The four of them talked and laughed for hours, straight through dinner, until the hall monitors came and sent Piper and Annabeth away before curfew. Hazel smiled the whole time, but behind it she was hiding a pain that she could never share with her friends–the pain of lying to them.

* * *

**JASON** got back to his dorm, and Percy looked like he hadn't moved. He was glaring at a torn up letter on the ground, which looked like the same one he'd picked up at the door earlier.

Jason finally decided to say something after putting up his jacket, since Percy stayed silent. "Bad news?" he asked.

Jason wondered if he'd asked the wrong question when he saw the flash of anger in Percy's green eyes, but it quickly subsided as he sat up on the bed. "Yes," he said shortly.

Jason didn't say anything as he walked to his desk, pulling his history textbook out of his bag and placing it against the wall. He saw Percy's textbook in an open drawer at his desk–Percy didn't take it to class. He'd probably never opened it. The thought irked Jason, just a little bit.

Discreetly closing the drawer with his foot, he sat down at his desk. "Wanna share?"

Percy sat there for a minute without saying a word. "I don't know," he finally decided.

Jason gritted his teeth. Percy was closing himself off. That should've been fine, except that Jason was his friend, and they lived in the same room.

He was about to ask something else when Percy suddenly said, "You're good at English?"

Jason blinked, surprised at the change of subject. "Uh... yeah. Yeah, I guess so."

"Well..." Percy said, standing up and walking over to his desk, where he sat. He sighed, finishing, "I'm not."

"I don't think–"

"Jason," Percy cut him off. "It's fine. I, uh... I can't... English is definitely my worst subject. And, I was wondering if you could, you know..."

Percy was visibly flustered at this point, and Jason recovered from his shock just enough to say something stupid like, "Tutor you? Well, I could, but... why not ask Annabeth?"

Jason saw Percy's blush and mentally kicked himself. Idiot.

"I mean," he added hastily, "she's a lot smarter than me. Smarter than anyone, probably. She'd be the best help."

Percy rubbed the back of his neck before running his hand through his hair. "She has no patience for me," he said, dropping his hand onto the desk. "She's my chem partner. She..." he shook his head. "It wouldn't turn out well."

Jason doubted Annabeth was annoyed by Percy, but he kept that to himself. "I mean... Man, if you really need help, I can do it. We have English together anyway."

At his desk, Percy was nodding. "Exactly. And that'll make it easier to, uh, be discreet."

"Oh, yeah. Of course."

Percy smiled hesitantly in thanks, walking back over to his bunk. Jason studied for a while, catching up on the chapter of his History book that they'd go over next week. He always liked to be prepared–his teacher gave out random pop quizzes at least twice a week.

When Jason finished the chapter, which ended regarding the collapse of the Roman Empire, it was almost dark outside. Percy was watching the last rays of sunlight disappear over the water.

"It was my dad," Percy said after a while. "He's visiting the school."

"What?!" Jason exclaimed. "That's... It's not good, is it?" he asked, seeing the discomfort on Percy's face.

Percy shrugged. "It was pretty messed up that he left my mom. I've always been kind of angry with him for it. Okay, really angry." There was a fire behind Percy's eyes, and he gripped the edge of his bed tightly. "He abandoned her, Jason. He abandoned me. And he never looked back."

Jason was subconsciously nodding along with Percy–he understood exactly what he was saying. His own father had left his family until his mother's death, when he'd finally stepped in as he and his sister, Thalia's, guardian–even though they still rarely saw him. Still, Jason's father had never forced him into anything, had never made a decision on Jason's behalf.

"Dude, I get it. He left you. Now he forced you to come here. He's been making all of these choices for you that you probably think are only hurting you. And it's right to be mad."

His roommate just grunted in approval, probably not trusting himself to speak. A few minutes later the intercom signaled dinner, and they left, not saying a word.

* * *

**LEO** realized very quickly that Percy was upset.

Their table was mostly empty, with the girls all at Hazel's dorm. Nico saw Percy and Jason coming first, and froze. Glancing behind him, Leo laughed. "Dude, Jason looks real uptight, but believe me–he's not that scary. Guy's a big softy."

Nico shook his head, breaking his paralysis. "It's... It's the other one. Percy," he clarified.

Frowning, Leo took another look back at Percy. Sure enough, he saw the fierce anger with which Percy walked, and as he drew closer, Leo decided there was a definite fire behind his sea green eyes. The sight caused even Leo's cocky attitude to falter.

Nico was edging out of his seat slowly, eyes locked on Percy. He swallowed. "Do you think... Is it because of me? Because that girl..."

"Hazel," Leo offered.

"... Because she passed out?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "Percy wouldn't blame that on you."

"Are you–"

"Something probably pissed him off much, _much_ worse. And there isn't much he cares about more than Hazel," Leo said, interrupting his roommate.

"Oh. Are they... Are they, like, together?" Nico asked.

Leo started laughing loudly enough for Jason and Percy to hear him, almost knocking his food off the table in his fit.

Nico frowned as Percy sat down at the table, edging further away when the sophomore took his usual seat, which was now next to Nico. Leo raised an eyebrow at his roommate, who was starting to blush faintly. Weird.

"Where is everybody?" Percy asked, making Nico flinch. Seriously, what was with that kid?

Jason answered before Leo could. "Piper told me earlier that they were all at Hazel's." He glanced up at Nico for a second before returning to his food.

"Oh. Good," Percy nodded. "Good."

No one talked for a while after that, and the whole table seemed pretty dead without the girls. "So, Nico," Leo piped up, trying to spark a conversation. "You haven't really gotten a chance to talk to Jason. Or Percy," he added, just to see Nico's reaction.

Leo wasn't disappointed. Nico's head snapped up, and he glared at Leo for half a second before it dropped down again.

"Yeah," Jason said, apparently oblivious to their exchange. "Where are you from?"

Nico sat still for a minute before answering. "All over, I guess." He shook his head before continuing. "I lived in Vegas for a while after my family moved here from Italy. DC after that. I went to a military school in Maine before this, but that–" Nico cut himself off, looking stunned that he'd said so much. "... It didn't end well," he finished, his voice low.

"You're from Italy?" Jason said excitedly. "That's actually _really_ cool. I've always wanted to go to Rome."

Nico nodded carefully, and Leo watched the exchange, fascinated. Nico had just told Jason more about himself than his own roommate.

"I'm from Venice," he stated simply.

"And," Percy perked up, "you speak Italian?"

Leo's roommate stiffened at Percy's voice, his expression clearly becoming more guarded. "Only a little. Enough," he said, his voice hard.

Percy frowned. He looked like he was about to say something, but Nico stood abruptly, shaking the table. "I have to leave. I still need to look over my schedule."

"Sure!" Leo exclaimed, standing to join Nico. "I'll help."

"No!" Nico exclaimed, much too quickly. "I mean," he said hurriedly, "you don't have to. Please."

Nodding slowly, Leo sat back down. Nico ran off, muttering to himself, and Leo thought he heard something like _"Gli occhi verdi_," before his roommate left the mess hall.


End file.
